In
the weeks leading up to the draft, Perfect Game will be providing a
detailed overview of each state in the U.S., including the District
of Columbia, as well as Canada and Puerto Rico. These overviews will
list the state's strengths, weaknesses and the players with the best
tools, as well as providing scouting reports on all Group 1 and 2
players as ranked in Perfect Game's state-by-state scouting lists.

Contributing:
Allan SimpsonIndiana State-by-State List2011 Indiana Overview
Indiana
Overview:Talented
Purdue Team Looks To Snap Big Ten DroughtThe
challenges that Northern-based college baseball teams face, compared
to their southern counterparts, are well documented. The NCAA took
the lead in trying to level the playing field several years ago by
instituting a uniform mid-February start date for Division I teams,
but programs in the Big Ten Conference and other surrounding
lower-profile conferences still feel disadvantaged when it comes to
luring top-notch talent, or even hanging on to home-bred players.
Such
hardships hardly seem to apply to Purdue, though. The Boilermakers
have enjoyed one of the best seasons in years by a northern-based
team, winning their first Big Ten Conference regular-season title in
103 years while breaking the school record for wins in a season with
41 (entering Big Ten tournament play), which they tied a year ago.
Purdue
should also impact the draft like no Boilermaker team before with the
possibility of three players—third baseman Cameron Perkins, catcher
Kevin Plawecki and closer Nick Wittgren—that could be selected in
the top five rounds, and it is noteworthy that all three are Indiana
high-school products.
While
Purdue has enjoyed a historic 2012 season, especially against the
backdrop of the hardships that northern-based teams continue to face,
it has been a significant season by Indiana college teams generally
as Indiana State captured its first Missouri Valley Conference
regular-season title in 27 years, and Indiana made a late charge to
finish second to Purdue in the Big Ten.
Though
the Sycamores are a long way off from eclipsing their own school
record for wins in a season, they matched Purdue’s season total of
41 wins and could have three players of their own selected in the
first 10 rounds, led by catcher Jeremy Lucas, who has made
significant improvements this season, both offensively and
defensively, to improve his draft status.
On
top of everything else from a positive nature that has occurred in
the state this spring, Indiana could have three college catchers
taken in the top 10 rounds as Plawecki and Lucas are expected to be
joined by Notre Dame's Joe Hudson. Plawecki is considered the better
offensive talent of the three, Hudson the best defender and Lucas the
one that blends the two facets the best. Hudson should be the only
Notre Dame player to make an impact in this year’s draft, but an
emerging Irish program should make significant inroads on the draft
in the next two years.
The
traditionally-underappreciated Indiana high-school ranks, meanwhile,
are not expected to be as big of a factor in this year’s draft,
especially with most of the top prospects seen as signability risks.
Righthander Luke Stephenson stands out among the top prep prospects
and warrants being selected in the top five rounds based on talent,
but his commitment to Vanderbilt clouds his draft status. The 2013
Indiana prep class already looks stronger as athletic, 6-foot-6
lefthander/outfielder Trey Ball is considered one of the top
prospects in the country.Indiana
in a nutshell:
STRENGTH:
College catchers.WEAKNESS:
High school positional players.OVERALL
RATING
(1-to-5 scale): 3.BEST
COLLEGE TEAM:
Purdue.BEST
JUNIOR-COLLEGE TEAM:
Vincennes.BEST
HIGH SCHOOL TEAM:
Indianapolis Cathedral.PROSPECT
ON THE RISE: Jeremy Lucas, c, Indiana State. Lucas
was ranked No. 64 among the Northwoods League's top 75 prospects last
summer, and received praise for his ability to make consistent
contact, while hitting .302, and for improvements behind the plate.
He has added power to his swing this spring, slugging nine home runs
while hitting .363, and has made the most overall progress among
Indiana’s college catching triumvirate of Lucas, Purdue’s Kevin
Plawecki and Notre Dame’s Joe Hudson.WILD
CARD: Luke Stephenson, rhp, Triton Central HS, Fairland. If
Stephenson slips past the top five rounds in this year’s draft, it
won't be because of talent. At a strong, sturdy 6-foot-2 and 190
pound, Stephenson has an athletic frame, and a live arm with the
ability to routinely top out at 92-93 mph. His commitment to
Vanderbilt causes uncertainty among scouts regarding his signability
as the Commodores have a knack for getting their top recruits on
campus.BEST
OUT-OF-STATE PROSPECT, Indiana Connection:
Nolan Sanburn, rhp University of Arkansas (Attended high school in
Kokomo).Top
2013 Prospect:
Trey Ball, lhp/of, New Castle HS.Top2014
Prospect:
Jonah Patten, rhp, Norwell HS, Bluffton.HIGHEST
DRAFT PICKS
Draft
History:
Andy Benes, rhp, University of Evansville (1988, Padres/1st round, 1st pick); Brian Bullington, rhp, Ball State University (2002,
Pirates/1st round, 1st pick).2006
Draft: Preston
Mattingly, ss, Evansville Central HS (Dodgers/1st round, 31st pick).2007
Draft: Jarrod
Parker, rhp, Norwell HS, Bluffton (Diamondbacks/1st round, 9th pick).2008
Draft: Josh
Lindblom, rhp, Purdue University (Dodgers/2nd round).2009
Draft: A.J.
Pollock, of, University of Notre Dame (Diamondbacks/1st round, 17th pick).2010
Draft: Kolbrin
Vitek, 2b/rhp, Ball State University (Red Sox/1st round/20th pick).2011
Draft:
Alex Dickerson, 1b/of, University of Indiana (Pirates/3rd round).2011
DRAFT OVERVIEW
College
Players Drafted/Signed:
10/10.Junior
College Players Drafted/Signed:
0/0.High
School Players Drafted/Signed:
6/1.BEST
TOOLS
Best
Athlete: Micah
Johnson, 2b, University of Indiana.Best
Hitter: Kevin
Plawecki, c, Purdue University.Best
Power: Cameron
Perkins, 3b, Purdue University.Best
Speed: Eric
Stamets, ss, University of Evansville.Best
Defender: Joe
Hudson, c, University of Notre Dame.Best
Velocity: Luke
Stephenson, rhp, Triton Central HS, Fairland.Best
Breaking Stuff: Nick
Wittgren, rhp, Purdue University.Best
Command: Nick
Wittgren, rhp, Purdue University.TOP
PROSPECTS, GROUPS ONE and TWO
GROUP ONE (Projected
ELITE-Round Draft / Rounds 1-3)1. KEVIN PLAWECKI,
c, Purdue University (Jr.)When Plawecki enrolled
at Purdue, he was considered a defensive-minded catcher with the
potential to develop into a middle-of-the-order run producer. His bat
definitely has stepped forward as he now has a very sound approach to
hitting, and the ability to consistently square up balls and drive
them to the gaps. His power continues to emerge in concert with his
improvement as a hitter. On the spring, he is hitting .361-5-40 with
a team-high 20 doubles. Most remarkable perhaps, he has an impressive
24-to-8 walk-to-strikeout ratio and a .459 on-base percentage. In
addition to his offensive prowess, Plawecki has developed into a
vocal, take-charge catcher and is the visible leader of the
Boilermakers. His leadership qualities serve him well behind the
plate, as does his strong, flexible 6-foot-1, 215-pound frame. He
shows good lateral movement and improving blocking skills, and his
quick release overcomes the lack of ideal arm strength for the
position.

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